Eager to be eyewitnesses to history, people camped for days in the dismal cold, shivering in the slanting shadow of the Capitol dome, to claim tickets for the Supreme Court’s historic oral arguments on same-sex marriage. Some hoped that the Justices would extend marriage rights; others prayed that they would not. When at last the doors of the white marble temple swung open on March 26 for the first of two sessions devoted to the subject, the lucky ones found seats in time to hear Justice Anthony Kennedy — author of two important earlier decisions in favor of gay rights and likely a key vote this time as well — turn the tables on the attorney defending the traditionalist view. Charles Cooper was extolling heterosexual marriage as the best arrangement in which to raise children when Kennedy interjected: What about the roughly 40,000 children of gay and lesbian couples living in California? “They want their parents to have full recognition and full status,” Kennedy said. “The voice of those children is important in this case, don’t you think?” Nearly as ominous for the folks against change was the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts plunged into a discussion of simply dismissing the California case. That would let stand a lower-court ruling, and same-sex couples could add America’s most populous state to the growing list of jurisdictions where they can be lawfully hitched.

A court still stinging from controversies over Obamacare, campaign financing and the 2000 presidential election may be leery of removing an issue from voters’ control. Yet no matter what the Justices decide after withdrawing behind their velvet curtain, the courtroom debate — and the period leading up to it — made clear that we have all been eyewitnesses to history. In recent days, weeks and months, the verdict on same-sex marriage has been rendered by rapidly shifting public opinion and by the spectacle of swing-vote politicians scrambling to keep up with it. With stunning speed, a concept dismissed even by most gay-rights leaders just 20 years ago is now embraced by half or more of all Americans, with support among young voters running as high as 4 to 1. Beginning with the Netherlands in 2001, countries from Argentina to Belgium to Canada — along with nine states and the District of Columbia — have extended marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples.

Peter Hapak for TIME

True, most of the remaining states have passed laws or constitutional amendments reserving marriage for opposite-sex partners. And Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, declares that the fight to defend the traditional definition is only beginning. “Our opponents know this, which is why they are hoping the Supreme Court will cut short a debate they know they will ultimately lose if the political process and democracy are allowed to run their course,” he said.

But that confidence is rare even among the traditionalists. Exit polls in November showed that 83% of voters believe that same-sex marriage will be legal nationwide in the next five to 10 years, according to a bipartisan analysis of the data. Like a dam that springs a little leak that turns into a trickle and then bursts into a flood, the wall of public opinion is crumbling. That’s not to say we’ve reached the end of shunning, homophobia or anti-gay violence. It does, however, suggest that Americans who are allowed by law to fall in love, share their lives and raise children together will, in the not too distant future, be allowed to get married.

Through 2008, no major presidential nominee favored same-sex marriage. But in 2012, the newly converted supporter Barack Obama sailed to an easy victory over Mitt Romney, himself an avowed fan of Modern Family — a hit TV show in which a devoted gay couple negotiates the perils of parenthood with deadpan hilarity. When even a conservative Mormon Republican can delight in a sympathetic portrayal of same-sex parenthood, a working consensus is likely at hand.

Down the ballot, elected leaders who once faithfully pledged to protect tradition have lined up to announce their conversions. Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio said he changed his mind after learning that his son is gay. Red-state Democrats Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana, both skilled political tightrope walkers, also switched, as did Virginia’s Mark Warner. They joined Hillary Clinton and her husband, the former President who signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law during his 1996 re-election bid but is now calling on the Supreme Court to undo his mistake.

Such switchers have plenty of company among their fellow citizens. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 1 in 7 American adults say their initial opposition to same-sex marriage has turned to support. The picture of a nation of immovable factions dug into ideological trenches is belied by this increasingly uncontroversial controversy. Yesterday’s impossible now looks like tomorrow’s inevitable. The marriage license is the last defensible distinction between the rights of gay and straight couples, Cooper told the Justices as he steeled himself to defend that line. But most generals will tell you that when you’re down to your last trench, you are likely to lose the battle.

What’s most striking about this seismic social shift — as rapid and unpredictable as any turn in public opinion on record — is that it happened with very little planning. In fact, there was a lot of resistance from the top. Neither political party gave a hint of support before last year, nor was marriage part of the so-called homosexual agenda so worrisome to social-conservative leaders. For decades, prominent gay-rights activists dismissed the right to marry as a quixotic, even dangerous, cause and gave no support to the men and women at the grassroots who launched the uphill movement.

Why is it that no matter how many times freedom of religion is cited, no matter how many times we tell you gays are born gay, no matter how many times your own bigotry is not justification for inequality, you still use the same tired excuses to oppose gay marriage?we have an equal protection clause in our constitution. Religion is irrelevant. There are Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists...and you want them to adhere to your religion. And you use your religion to promote bigotry. And it's only Christians. The verses you quote in the bible about homosexuality are Jewish law. Jesus said nothing about gays. And if you want to use Leviticus as law today, you better not have your period, fornicate, lie, worship false idols (I'm talking to you, all non Christians), adulter, have your period, eat shellfish, get a tattoo, or wear polycotton blends. "Under god" and "in god we trust" were added to our pledge of allegiance and our money respectively.

Homosexual behavior is exhibited in all sexual species on earth. People are born gay, they don't become gay. 10% of human males are born gay. 6% of human females are born gay. You're more likely to be gay if you're left handed than right handed. People get divorced. People cheat. People have babies out of wedlock. People grow up in broken homes with one parent or no parents. Some couples can't have babies. Some choose not to. That is no reason to discriminate against them and their choice to raise children in a marriage or not so it's no reason to discriminate against gays. Straight people have gay children. Being raised by gay parents won't make the kids gay too.

You read article after article, you hear judge after judge strike down bans because they're unconstitutional, and you still don't actually listen. Everythng you're saying about gay marriage is wrong. And repeating your wholly illogical and irrational unfounded arguments against it won't make them true. Every reason you have ever had to be against it has been disproven or dismissed. The same bans are going stuck down for the same reasons, and the same arguments keep coming up to support the ban. They are being struck down, one by one. All for the same reasons because your reasons to support the ban are unconstitutional, irrelevant, and purely motivated by bigotry under the guise of Christianity. It has only been Christians in America that I have seen argue against gay marriage. Surely you don't expect the courts to impose Christian style sharia law do you?

Suppose we take a step back from religion for just a moment. Look at the state of our nation. I would like to call it a great nation, but look at it. The laws of God aside, we have transgressed the laws of the economy. We have transgressed the laws of sociology. We have transgressed the laws of health. Whether or not you believe in a God who created the laws of nature, you have to admit that America is in a state of outright disobedience. Our health, economy, and society are moving towards a collapse. God does not punish sinners. Justice punishes them by the laws of nature. Truth is truth no matter how well an intelligent person can twist it with words. The law of our existence was not created by men or God. It is truth so transcendent that it extends past both of those concepts. Our existence continues by procreation, and Gay Marriage damns that continuation in a literal sense. It is not opinion, It is not science, It is truth, the very law of eternity, and I dare anyone to try and poke a verbal hole in that fact.

Why would the state want to grant marriage licenses to homosexual couples? What BENEFIT TO SOCIETY could be so great as to warrant such recognition and reward?

THERE IS NONE. Homosexual unions are relatively worthless to society.

The state has no obligation to bronze you a medal for being in love — no matter how narcissistic you are. Marriage is not a soup kitchen for lovers.

The long-established definition of marriage is the union between a man and a woman — a husband and a wife. For those who want to CHANGE that definition, the onus is on them to explain what the FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE of this "new and improved" marriage would be.

Something is fundamental when it forms a NECESSARY base or core. A fundamental purpose of marriage is one that necessitates the existence of the institution — especially when only marriage fulfills that purpose.

What is the fundamental purpose of marriage?

Why does the state care about the unions of couples?

In their extreme self-centeredness, homosexual activists (and their fawning acolytes) are utterly clueless about such crucial questions.

I am sick about what's happening in America. Everyday it gets worse, and I admit I have despaired because evil is winning. Good people fight and fight and fight to keep evil from advancing, but it seems to do no good these days. I honestly can't remember the last time good won over evil in this country. My goal now is to keep God on the throne, no matter what I see and hear. HE IS ALL-POWERFUL and can defeat any evil spreading through America if he wants to. I will continue to fight evil, but I will also respect God's will and wait for him to bring change. If the liberal agenda has truly broken our beautiful America once and for all, and she is forever doomed to reap what the liberals have sown, then I KNOW THAT GOD WILL PROTECT ME NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE I AM HIS. God will protect his people, even when evil rules and reigns. Remember that, and do not despair when you see evil win. Know that evil never really wins in the end. Keep following God and keep looking to him - honor God, obey his Word, and praise him. Remember too to keep fighting evil when you can, BUT don't dwell on it and let it consume you with anger and bitterness. If you let evil make you bitter and angry, then evil has not only won in America, but it has won in your heart too. Life really IS beautiful, and no matter how evil advances in this world, there is STILL beauty all around you. It is in the smile of a child, the laughter of a friend, the kindness of a stranger, and the warm sun on your face. REMEMBER THE BEAUTY IN LIFE, FOR IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD.

for those over religious people who think gay marriage is punishable by god:

you beleive that your god created all men, right? The god you worship then also created homosexuals. But, you say homosexuals shall be tortured by god because of their views. So, the god you worship creates certain people just to punish and torture them. then, you beleive in evil, YOU practically worship the DEVIL. your beleifs contradict themselves.

Hello ,I am out here to spread this good news to the entire world on how I got my ex love back.I was going crazy when my love left me for another girl last month, But when i meet a friend that introduce me to DR aluta the great messenger to the oracle that he supervene,I narrated my problem to DR aluta about how my ex love left me,He only said to me that i have come to the right place were i will be getting my heart desire without any side effect.He told me what i need to do,After it was been done,In the next 2 days,My love called me on the phone and was saying sorry for living me before now and also in the next one week after my love called me to be pleading for forgiveness, ..I am so happy and overwhelmed that i have to tell this to the entire world to contact Dr aluta at the following email address and get all your problem solve..No problem is too big for him to solve..Contact him direct at traditionalspellhospital@gmail.com and get your problems solve like me

It's really interesting. I'm a 90's baby. I'm growing up in this new age of technology and social media. I can tell you- most kids don't care about sexuality anymore, and if they do, they just keep it to themselves. Most Christians I know who are my age are friends with gay kids. I'm a gay Christian myself. Many of us are tired of seeing all the adults fight and make terrible decisions because we're the ones who are going to be living in this world in the next 30-50 years while all of you are dead or dying.

Normal gay people don't want to force their views down anybody's throats. They just want to go out on dates and hold hands in public without being harassed or treated like a subhuman species. And honestly, if you saw the sexual behavior of straight teenage high school boys nowadays, you would NOT be saying that homosexuality is promiscuous. Maybe you should figure out what your kids are getting into when you're not watching before figuring out what somebody ELSE is doing, gay or not.

Fact is, when you raise a child their entire life and learn that they've been hiding a part of it from you because they're afraid you'll hurt them and hate them and throw them away, that your child has been living in fear of you because they think you don't wish happiness for them, that they think you won't be at their prom, wedding, baby shower, all of it because of their orientation, it breaks your heart.

When God blesses you with a happy, healthy child, it's everything you can do to make sure they know you love them. Parents of gay children: don't turn your back on them. They need you now more than ever in a world that doesn't want them in it.

Actually it is far more than 60%, since homosexuality is a choice.
Homosexuals are not born that way. If people argue that they are, then I
would love to see the evidence for that. Two people of the same gender
coming together in the bonds of marriage is by definition "unnatural."
It is a moral issue that will affect everybody. Just think about a gay
couple having children. Who are these dear children going to call mom
and who are they going to call dad? When the poor children has either
two dads or two moms. It is moral confusion. It is also rebellion
against God's natural order of things (see Genesis 2:18-25; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians
6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13). According to history, many of the great empires of the past such as the Roman Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Babylonian Empire, etc were marked by rampant homosexuality, bestiality, and pedophilia just prior to their fall. North America is now ripe for God's judgment as well, for Canada and the USA are no different than these empires of the past in our foolishly wide acceptance of homosexuality. As the old cliche puts it, "Those who fail to learn from the past are destined to repeat it." And that is exactly what we are doing. Now having said that. Yes, God does LOVE GAY PEOPLE as much as He loves Straight people. He loves gay people so much that He doesn't want them to stay that way. For such people Christ came to die for. THEY CAN CHANGE. Wake up people!

There are many people, including myself, who believe that gay people should have the same rights as straight people. I believe these rights should extend to the legal privileges of marriage. If a man loves another man, he should be able to inherit his partners' belongings if he were to die suddenly. He should be able to hold his hand in the hospital room when his life is on the line. Two lesbians spending their lives together shouldn't have to be on separate insurance plans. However, I believe that a change is needed in terminology to legitimize the rights of same-sex couples; when gay men or lesbians join together under the law, don't call it marriage.

The gay marriage impetus maintains that it is unfair to intermingle law with religion, that it isn't right to force one single moral code upon the entire citizenry. They say that arguing that God didn't create Adam and Steve is a religious belief and cannot be used to justify condemning same-sex marriage. However, what they meant was that Adam and Eve or Steve or the Bible in general isn't legal reason to condemn same-sex relationships. Marriage is a religious term. Marriage is based on religion. Marriage has a religious definition that long ago was inducted into the United States law. The Bible created a definition for marriage. Obviously, many people disagree with this definition. So, another word that has the definition so many people desire needs to be created, and then anyone can enjoy a legal partnership that has all the benefits of traditional marriage. However, changing the definition of a word that is based on a religion by which one simply wish not to be governed is hypocritical and unlawful.

God loves all people regardless of the labels of gay, straight, bisexual and transgender. He created us in His image with the intention of giving us the gift of strong minds and kind hearts, hoping that we would one day learn to treat all humans respectfully. However, God didn't make marriage between two men or two women. Call it something other than marriage, and there is no problem. If religion should not interfere with a person's rights, then a person should not demand rights under a sacred religious word. No person should ever feel entitled to changing the definition of a word of religion unless he or she wishes to have religion be entitled to the same governing abilities.

The thought of Gay marriage just sickens me to my core, it equates to seeing human and animal sex, it is wrong, it is just wrong.If gay marriage is so right, then we might as well through out the Bible, the Koran, and any other religious edict, for as people, we are lost and we will pay for are Transgressions as a whole.The Idea of America, the land of the free and the brave started out as a nice dream, but then there was that slavery thing, and then we killed most of the Indians and now we have gay marriage.Someone once said that America was blesses, who and what would bless America, surely not God.

I would like to point out the age approval gap, and that I think this article is sooo, true simply because of age. what most homophobes forget is that sooner or later everyone dies. As a 16 year old, personally see where the future generation is headed, and right now it is so "like, I don't care-people do what they do". Us, the young people the future, we DON'T care. Its your life, do what you want, we may have our preferences but you can have yours. There are exceptions to everything, young people both in favor and against, but the majority, don't think its our business. Relevant only in that Marriage is in fact a religious thing and has been forever, but now its also a state thing and as such needs to be separated from our traditional (American) catholic views. After all thousands of people in the Middle East have HORRIBLE laws for there women. They even have multiple wives, all of which (better be) against everything we are taught here in the U.S again, OLDER PEOPLE ARE OUTDATED, we don't wear out fits from the 60's, why are we still supporting views and thoughts from it? SO I agree with this article, the Gay rights movement doesn't need to lift a finger, time will uncover everything.

On what do you base your morality, biology, emotion, or the created order?

A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They'll follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. (2 Tim 4:3)

Now don’t get me wrong, some gays probably do throw it in your face. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen two straight people going at it in a hallway where they seriously would need a room though. BAM!!! Thrown in my face but in reality I’m not a huge baby about it because I DON’T CARE. The point is homosexuals won’t ruin marriage and peoples’ ignorance is hurting me. I’m a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, and I’ve almost been kicked out 3 times yet have been the Best Warrior of my unit. Why? Because I am awesome and what I do in the bedroom has no effect on how I contribute to society. The marriage thing…it is about the benefits that go with it…duh. We are like…all raised to go to school, get a job and someday get married. Hey look, that is traditional!!! I would like to someday marry a girl…since I was 5 and do you know how horrifying that is as a child to know that when you grow up in a world so opposed to it. I don’t know how many times I’ve been beat up for it and for what? Ignorance? Guess what peeps, you have NO idea who I am and if they legalize “gay” marriage you will also NEVER know if I get married. So, what does it really matter?

You know, this is freaking hilarious. Let me tell you what I
want. I don’t want to force my homosexual ways on anyone. I want to be myself.
I don’t flaunt my gayness around, I act exactly the way straight people do in
public with their significant others. I don’t want “gay” marriage. I want to be
able to marry the person I love because I freaking deploy all the time serving
my country, giving up my freedoms for others, and just want to know my
significant other is taken care of. Wow, that seems normal doesn’t it? You
know, all the wants and needs of an individual is exactly the same up to the
point of who it is with, whether they are same-sex or hetero. That is what I
find so hilarious is ONE, minor difference. The argument that gay families will
make more gay people… You do realize I come from a heterosexual family right?
You want to protect the traditional sense of marriage, here is an idea. 1) How
about you start fighting against divorce. 2) Maybe shows like the Bachelor or
shows that display how insane brides are up to the wedding shouldn’t be aired
on television. You want to talk about a mockery of marriage. 3) How about you
tell me how valid and traditional marriages are that are done in Vegas between
two people that got hitched in a drunken night. Yep, that holds down the
sanctity of marriage firmly.

The cover of the April 9th issue is offensive to me. Whenever I witness homosexual behavior it causes an innate feeling of disgust. To get a sense of what I mean watch the Louisville bench as they witness Kevin Ware break his leg. At my core level I feel these actions are wrong. Court decisions and/or public opinion will never change this.

Why is it that no matter how many times freedom of religion is cited, no matter how many times we tell you gays are born gay, no matter how many times your own bigotry is not justification for inequality, you still use the same tired excuses to oppose gay marriage?we have an equal protection clause in our constitution. Religion is irrelevant. There are Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists...and you want them to adhere to your religion. And you use your religion to promote bigotry. And it's only Christians. The verses you quote in the bible about homosexuality are Jewish law. Jesus said nothing about gays. And if you want to use Leviticus as law today, you better not have your period, fornicate, lie, worship false idols (I'm talking to you, all non Christians), adulter, have your period, eat shellfish, get a tattoo, or wear polycotton blends. "Under god" and "in god we trust" were added to our pledge of allegiance and our money respectively.

Homosexual behavior is exhibited in all sexual species on earth. People are born gay, they don't become gay. 10% of human males are born gay. 6% of human females are born gay. You're more likely to be gay if you're left handed than right handed. People get divorced. People cheat. People have babies out of wedlock. People grow up in broken homes with one parent or no parents. Some couples can't have babies. Some choose not to. That is no reason to discriminate against them and their choice to raise children in a marriage or not so it's no reason to discriminate against gays. Straight people have gay children. Being raised by gay parents don't make the kids gay too.

You rad article after article, you hear judge after judge strike down bans because they're unconstitutional, and you still don't actually listen. Everythng you're saying about gay marriage is wrong. And repeating your wholly illogical and irrational unfounded arguments against it won't make them true. Every reason you have ever had to be against it has been disproven or dismissed. The same bans are going stuck down for the same reasons, and the same arguments keep coming up to support the ban. They are being struck down, one by one. All for the same reasons because your reasons to support the ban are unconstitutional, irrelevant, and purely motivated by bigotry under the guise of Christianity. It has only been Christians in America that I have seen argue against gay marriage. Surely you don't expect the courts to impose Christian style sharia law do you?

Marriage does not exist to serve any societal benefit. It's a legal contract that comes with more than 1100 benefits. To deny an entire group of people the right to equal recognition of their marriage and the benefits that go along with it just because they are gay is discrimination. atheists get married too. Interracial marriage was illegal until 1967. Polygamy was legal int he bible. A rape victim had to marry her rapist. Fathers sold their daughters into marriage. Why do straight people want to get married if they can't have kids? Or choose not to have kids? Why should people get married if they already have kids out of wedlock? What purpose does marriage serve for those straight people? Why do you as a straight person want to get married? Some strait people don't.

A fundamental right is a basic, human, unalienable right. It does not harm others, it is not a privilege. Anyone can get married. Just like anyone can practice whatever religion they want. Or yay whatever they want. Or carry a gun. or vote.

It is not "unnatural". We also don't know why some people are left-handed. No left handed gene has been found, however it's most likely the result of complex genetics. Same probably goes for homosexuality. Btw, homosexuality, and the life long bonding (not just sexual intercourse) occurs all over nature. Thousands of species actually. And siting the bible? Really?

Another problem I have with the "It's a choice" angle.... why is it that faith based recovery centers for gays always fail... why is it that gays cant be turned straight? And above all what is so far up the butts of the religious that they cannot see their own failures?

"If people argue that they are, then I
would love to see the evidence for that."

Science doesn't work that way. There are people who claim to become homosexual but, in all likelihood, they are sexual addicts or (in the case of bisexuals) simply discovering the other side of their sexuality. CT scans show homosexual men have brain structure similar to women (and homosexual women have brain structure similar to men) . As for proof beyond any shadow of doubt, again, that isn't how psychology or science works. Science works within the confines of what we do know rather than what might be true and all evidence points to this being natural. If someone claims to be depressed we don't automatically assume they are lying and kick them out of the office, we speak to them, learn their history, and go from there. Modern psychology has come to the consensus that, for most homosexuals as we understand them, they will be that way forever.

Now for you; why don't you prove your interpretation of your Bible is right. If you interpretation is correct then why do so many biblical scholars disagree with you then? Almost no bible scholar agrees that the Bible ever references homosexuality in it's modern form - they are referencing pagan practices of the time. You claim great empires fall due to homosexuality but as far as I am concerned, unless you have peer reviewed evidence that such is the case then I am declaring that point a hoc ergo proctor hoc logical fallacy at best. And don't argue that infallibility of scripture as it is written nonsense either - if you believe that you are either a Calvinist, a fool, or a hypocrite. You can't have both free will and God subsuming the free will of prophets and using them like big typewriters; that is logically untenable.

In addition, if that is the way it works, why are there so many churches? Wouldn't a perfect, simple to understand truth that is clear cut have only one church? Why so many bible scholars and theologians? Why does a supposedly perfect-as-it-is text need apologists to explain it? Why can I write something more clearly than God can? Isn't your God perfect? Why am I a superior writer to your God?

I happen to be a homosexual male myself. I am hardly fit to be lumped with pedophiles and animal abusers as I have always craved romantic closeness and love, not mere gratification. I have longed for cuddling, nuzzling, and the softer side of human connection from another who is capable of giving it in return - it is not my fault I am who I am and I have longed for my own gender for as long as I can remember back. If that makes me evil then it is an evil I am not responsible and (if you are correct) I will go to hell with clean conscience, knowing that I was not in the wrong. Better to be excommunicated than live in violation of good. I doubt that is the case, though - I am betting that the altar of human greatness at which you worship is is just another false idol.

@JerryDouglasSheppard As far as i can tell, it is not a sin to share love, and homosexuals should be able to pursue happiness, like the Declaration of Independence states. The Roman empire fell, not because of homosexuality. it fell because of hate and separation, between the rich and the poor. If there was something to cause this country to fall, it shall be the hate and separation of it's people. The Greek fell because of wars that rampaged through it's cities and the Babylonians were taxed with constant war and conquering, all due to greed. Christ died for our sins, and once again, love is not a sin, but hate, and anger, is.

@jamiat33 A strange statement from a religion that thrives on young boys and I would say "abuses" women, but you people take it to a whole new and sickening level. You don't have a leg to stand on, SweetPea.

@anniemarieECWI Wrong on all counts! Congratulations! Marriage is NOT religious. It must exist in secular society to ensure that estates remain in families. It is the STATE that confirms or denies marriage, not the religious whackjobs. The STATE allows clergy to marry, so long as they fill out the proper paperwork.

Yet you spout about hijacking a stupid word....a word that you've hijacked.

@KingratRat Wah Wah Wah. Oh Please. Ye who have no sin cast the first stone. Stop Judging! I have been Married to my partner for 11 years and it has no affect on your life. I deserve all the rights that the straights have. Get over it!

@GospelLifeNow Another false teacher and worshiper of the flesh. Ironic, that you quote the very thing that warns the world against your very actions here. Truth has nothing to fear from the light - only arrogance and fabricated, flaccid traditions born of that arrogance hide there. Your mind is so polluted by the wisdom of the ages and tradition that you will never see the truth. I do pity you, false teacher.

@Joseph.@JerryDouglasSheppard It seems to me you don not understand the differences between "love" mentioned in the Bible. The Greek word "agape" which means "unconditional love." Yes, God loves the homosexual just as much as he loves everyone else, but that in no way means God's love approves of such sins as homosexuality. The apostle Paul gives this insight about "love," "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6, NIV). This of course applies to the Greek word "eros" which speaks of "romantic love." For a man to share this kind of romantic love (that is strictly reserved between a man and a woman) with another man is wrong in God's eyes, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Leviticus 18:22, NIV). Now Joseph as for your supposed history lesson on the Roman, Greek, and Babylonian Empires, and what you said about their causes in their fall is fallacious. For one, I never said that Rome fell because of homosexuality. What I said was it was one of the signs among many that marked its end. Joseph, you are not being honest with the facts of history. Either that, or you are ignorant of the history of these great empires. You really need to hit the history books and read the facts my friend. I could spoon feed you the facts of what were the causes of each of these Empires to fall. But I neither have the time to do that, and besides, I find it far more effective if you are honest enough to face the facts, to read the truth about what history reveals about the end of each of these Empires. Now as for "hate, and anger" being sinful. Yes and no, depending on the context you are implying. For example, "hating" another human being made in the image of God is sinful. However, hating their sin, whether it be "murder, stealing, cheating, etc." is NOT sinful. Because God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. Now as for "anger," it is NOT sinful to be angry at injustices inflicted upon others. For example, it made me righteously "angry" when I heard in recent News stories of a few young teenage girls being brutally gang raped. And so it should make anyone with half a heart "angry" at such sin committed against these precious teenage girls. Now being "angry" at someone due to jealousy is sinful. I'm sure more examples of sinful anger could be given, but I'm sure you get the point.

because over religous people make them feel ashamed not to live that life.Then, when they realize that so many other homosexuals are starting to be accepted, they show their true selves in hopes of also being acceoted for who they are.

@brahms@collioure@MarkFultonPeople who come out later in life
are, likely, living in environments where homosexuality is considered
disgusting. Alternately, they have been sold a bill of lies by snake oil
salesmen who claim they can cure homosexuality and try it out (or worse
yet, try to force a heterosexual relationship only to wind up harming
their wife and kids in the process when it does eventually explode).

I
once met a white supremist who felt disgust at the sight of black
people and white people together (regardless of gender, usually male
female, and just as infuriating/dosgusting). I worked security with the
guy. If we ruled based off that then women wouldn't be working and
blacks would still be segregated. I am disgusted by brussel sprouts -
the fact that they are natural or good for you will never change this,
either.

As for born/innate, there may not be a genetic factor alone or perhaps at all - it maybe a hormonal factor in the womb that alters brain development as well (see "Homosexuality as a Consequence of Epigenetically Canalized Sexual Development" and accompanying study, William R. Rice, Urban Friberg, and Sergey Gavrilets - as a bonus, they actually reference your Identical Twin study).